Ok, need to get some info. for diving in Tahiti

[cruzegirl]

Alright, I finally have a sail date and am for sure going to Tahiti for a cruise....:D WOO HOO..... So excited.... With Princess changing the schedule and removing the Tahitian Princess after Dec. 2008, I didn't think I'd get to do it......

Anyone have input on which ports to dive at? Any port better than the other? My friends don't dive so I don't want to dive in all the ports..... I'll be in Papeete, going to Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora, Bora and Moorea........

[cmdchiefthom]

I did the other itinerary aboard the TP last New Years, and dived with Top Dive. I dived all the ports you mentioned with the exception of Huahine and Papeete. I had dives with Top Dive in Papeete, except our luggage, including all my dive gear and video equipment never made it on Air Tahiti Nui, until an hour before the ship left a 4:00 am two days after arrival.

 

Anyway, to travel that far and miss diving any of the ports, to me, was a sin, so we did all of them, with the exception of Nuka Hiva, where diving wasn't offered. The barrier reefs are teeming with sealife, mantas, eagle rays, turtles, and sharks, sharks and more sharks. Mostly black tips, but quite a few large lemoms, and hammerheads as well. In Moorea, the dive op put down a wire basket with chunks of fish to attract the sharks (probably not needed) and there were literallly hundreds up on the reef. On our safety stop on the way up, the boat driver tossed a large fish head off the boat, and next thing you knew, was you were watching a prime time feeding frenzy. If you worried about sharks before, after these dives, you won't worry anymore.

 

Rangiroa is the second largest Atoll on the planet. The ship tenders there, just inside the pass from ocean-side to lagoon-side. The pass is less than a half mile wide, and there is a deep channel in the middle. One of the dives we made was a flight, and I do mean flight, through the channel, into the lagoon. The current can be four to five knots, and you start the dive on the ocean-side reef, and about 90' to 100' in depth, and for the next twenty minutes or so, you literally fly along with the current through the pass. There were hammerheads, eagle rays, mantas, flying right along with us. It was an incredible experience, a truely unique experience.

 

Both Bora Bora and Raiatea were barrier reef dives, and were simply fantastic as well.

 

I wasn't aware the Princess pulled the TP out of FP. Is that permenent? I intended to go book again on a back to back, the Cooks, and Society Island itineraries. I had the Owner's Suite, and I can tell you the views we had of all the islands were of post card quality in all directions. It really is paradise!:) You WILL enjoy! :D

[cruzegirl]

Thom,

Thanks for all the good info. on the diving.... I've always heard it was magnificent but know nothing about Tahiti......Can't wait.

Yes, the T.P. is pulling out of the FP. There was some issue with the govt. port tax thing or something another and the time was up for the $$ benefit to Princess... So she is vacating Dec. 2008.... That's it.....

[budaman]

Hey there Deb! You know my feelings by now, I hope...but some additional thoughts. Haven't dove Rangiroa, but hear it is awesome...like Cozumel on steroids with BIG fish. Also, I don't think there is much else to do there. The other stops would be hard to pass also. You're overnighting in Raiatea & Bora Bora so you can still dive & have time for the others. We dove in Moorea & then did a 4X4 tour in the afternoon.....plenty of time. Like Thom said, we also used Top Dive for our dives in Bora & Moorea. If you could find someone on your roll call, you could split their 10 dive pkg and save some bucks over the ships excursions. The only island we didn't dive was Huahine as I didn't feel comfortable booking with any of the operators and the ship didn't offer any diving there. Some friends did book with an operator in Fare & enjoyed their dives though. There was some communication problems though because their English was limited. Also, all the operations used K-valves on their tanks, so if you take your own equipment there will be no conection issues. We are going to have to get a DIN adapter before we go on the Star Flyer next August because they use DIN valves on steel tanks on the ship. Ya'll are going to have a blast!

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

[patti627]

Hey there Deb! You know my feelings by now, I hope...but some additional thoughts. Haven't dove Rangiroa, but hear it is awesome...like Cozumel on steroids with BIG fish. Also, I don't think there is much else to do there. The other stops would be hard to pass also. You're overnighting in Raiatea & Bora Bora so you can still dive & have time for the others. We dove in Moorea & then did a 4X4 tour in the afternoon.....plenty of time. Like Thom said, we also used Top Dive for our dives in Bora & Moorea. If you could find someone on your roll call, you could split their 10 dive pkg and save some bucks over the ships excursions. The only island we didn't dive was Huahine as I didn't feel comfortable booking with any of the operators and the ship didn't offer any diving there. Some friends did book with an operator in Fare & enjoyed their dives though. There was some communication problems though because their English was limited. Also, all the operations used K-valves on their tanks, so if you take your own equipment there will be no conection issues. We are going to have to get a DIN adapter before we go on the Star Flyer next August because they use DIN valves on steel tanks on the ship. Ya'll are going to have a blast!

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Mike, how is the weather in November in Tahiti? Is there a time of year that's preferable to others, due to weather, etc.? We're divers also, and hope to go next year before the TP is gone.

Thanks.

Patti

[budaman]

We went last November & the weather was great! We encountered only one day of showers while on Moorea and that was in the morning while diving. The humidity is a little higher then, but not any worse than here in Texas. Water was warm also, just used a 1/2 mil skin. We even made it into Rarotonga. The only thing we missed was encountering the whales, which is why we are going in August next year....but they are like the weather....never know what you'll get:D

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

[patti627]

We went last November & the weather was great! We encountered only one day of showers while on Moorea and that was in the morning while diving. The humidity is a little higher then, but not any worse than here in Texas. Water was warm also, just used a 1/2 mil skin. We even made it into Rarotonga. The only thing we missed was encountering the whales, which is why we are going in August next year....but they are like the weather....never know what you'll get:D

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Is the weather the same in August?

[patti627]

Is the weather the same in August?

Mike, what dives did you do? Any you would skip or do additional ones?

Patti

[patti627]

We went last November & the weather was great! We encountered only one day of showers while on Moorea and that was in the morning while diving. The humidity is a little higher then, but not any worse than here in Texas. Water was warm also, just used a 1/2 mil skin. We even made it into Rarotonga. The only thing we missed was encountering the whales, which is why we are going in August next year....but they are like the weather....never know what you'll get:D

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Also, Mike, would you do a slightly different cruise? Different stops? You really loved the TP, huh?

[budaman]

We really did enjoy the TP...we had a great CC group & did several things together over the 10 days and the diving was awesome. We did the Cook itinerary which for late 2008 they have dropped along with the Marquesas route & are doing Rangiroa, which I would love to dive. We dove Rarotonga,Raiatea,Bora & Moorea. Didn't get to dive Tahiti or Huahine, which we will do the next trip. Would also like to get a night dive in on the wreck of the Norby off the reef in Raiatea. Since the next cruise is 7 days & we are arriving a day early & staying 2 days after, we should be able to catch all but Rangiroa. We also stay overnight on each of the islands of Huahine, Tahaa,Bora & Moorea.

 

November is basically the beginning of their spring and August the early part of winter, so it's a little less humid & slightly less chances of heavy rains. The temp is pretty stable year round, staying in the low to mid 80's with the water temp being the same. They really don't get the cold water currents through that area to get the temps down. That is one reason the whales migrate there to spawn & have their calves.

 

There have been several good articles in Sport Diver magazine on diving French Polynesia this year that you should be able to access on their website:http://www.sportdiver.com

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

[patti627]

We really did enjoy the TP...we had a great CC group & did several things together over the 10 days and the diving was awesome. We did the Cook itinerary which for late 2008 they have dropped along with the Marquesas route & are doing Rangiroa, which I would love to dive. We dove Rarotonga,Raiatea,Bora & Moorea. Didn't get to dive Tahiti or Huahine, which we will do the next trip. Would also like to get a night dive in on the wreck of the Norby off the reef in Raiatea. Since the next cruise is 7 days & we are arriving a day early & staying 2 days after, we should be able to catch all but Rangiroa. We also stay overnight on each of the islands of Huahine, Tahaa,Bora & Moorea.

 

November is basically the beginning of their spring and August the early part of winter, so it's a little less humid & slightly less chances of heavy rains. The temp is pretty stable year round, staying in the low to mid 80's with the water temp being the same. They really don't get the cold water currents through that area to get the temps down. That is one reason the whales migrate there to spawn & have their calves.

 

There have been several good articles in Sport Diver magazine on diving French Polynesia this year that you should be able to access on their website:http://www.sportdiver.com

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Mike, thanks for the info. I'm still a bit confused, though. As far as weather, is there much difference between Aug. and Nov? Both pretty heavy rain-free? Which is better?

Thanks again.

Patti

[patti627]

Alright, I finally have a sail date and am for sure going to Tahiti for a cruise....:D WOO HOO..... So excited.... With Princess changing the schedule and removing the Tahitian Princess after Dec. 2008, I didn't think I'd get to do it......

Anyone have input on which ports to dive at? Any port better than the other? My friends don't dive so I don't want to dive in all the ports..... I'll be in Papeete, going to Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora, Bora and Moorea........

Hi Debbie! My husband and I are considering the Tahitian Princess at around the same time you're going. As far as scuba and not getting into too much heavy rain trouble, is that a good time of year?

Patti

[Bassethound]

All fo the diving is better than the best of the Carribbean, even Bonaire.We did the Marquesas trip (see signature) and we did dive on both Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa. Mantas everywhere and hammerheads just lounging around.

 

Only place I would skip diving is Tahiti itself. Go into the mountains for a tour and dive the other ports. Moorea for the lemon sharks and the hammerheads. When we go back we won't take the TP anyway, we are jost staying on Moorea.

[Bassethound]

All of the diving is better than the best of the Caribbean, even Bonaire.We did the Marquesas trip (see signature) and we did dive on both Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa. Princess does not have a contract with the dive shops but they do exist. Let me know if you have questions, Mantas everywhere and hammerheads just lounging around. And loads of pilot whales.:D

 

Only place I would skip diving is Tahiti itself. Go into the mountains for a tour and dive the other ports. Moorea for the lemon sharks and the hammerheads. When we go back we won't take the TP anyway, we are just staying on Moorea.:)

[cruzegirl]

Patti,

I've never been but from what I've heard from others, late spring is good or early fall.... From Nov. to March I hear is their rainiest time. Have you been to Hawaii? I've heard it's like that.. You can have the sunniest, warmest day and suddenly get a tropical shower. No big deal... But that's what I hear.... Maybe we'll SEA you on board.......lol......

[patti627]

I did the other itinerary aboard the TP last New Years, and dived with Top Dive. I dived all the ports you mentioned with the exception of Huahine and Papeete. I had dives with Top Dive in Papeete, except our luggage, including all my dive gear and video equipment never made it on Air Tahiti Nui, until an hour before the ship left a 4:00 am two days after arrival.

 

Anyway, to travel that far and miss diving any of the ports, to me, was a sin, so we did all of them, with the exception of Nuka Hiva, where diving wasn't offered. The barrier reefs are teeming with sealife, mantas, eagle rays, turtles, and sharks, sharks and more sharks. Mostly black tips, but quite a few large lemoms, and hammerheads as well. In Moorea, the dive op put down a wire basket with chunks of fish to attract the sharks (probably not needed) and there were literallly hundreds up on the reef. On our safety stop on the way up, the boat driver tossed a large fish head off the boat, and next thing you knew, was you were watching a prime time feeding frenzy. If you worried about sharks before, after these dives, you won't worry anymore.

 

Rangiroa is the second largest Atoll on the planet. The ship tenders there, just inside the pass from ocean-side to lagoon-side. The pass is less than a half mile wide, and there is a deep channel in the middle. One of the dives we made was a flight, and I do mean flight, through the channel, into the lagoon. The current can be four to five knots, and you start the dive on the ocean-side reef, and about 90' to 100' in depth, and for the next twenty minutes or so, you literally fly along with the current through the pass. There were hammerheads, eagle rays, mantas, flying right along with us. It was an incredible experience, a truely unique experience.

 

Both Bora Bora and Raiatea were barrier reef dives, and were simply fantastic as well.

 

I wasn't aware the Princess pulled the TP out of FP. Is that permenent? I intended to go book again on a back to back, the Cooks, and Society Island itineraries. I had the Owner's Suite, and I can tell you the views we had of all the islands were of post card quality in all directions. It really is paradise!:) You WILL enjoy! :D

Thom, based on the diving, if you had to choose between the cruises offered by Princess in the Tahiti area, around Sept-Oct of 2008, which would you do? Do you know anything about the dive platform on the Paul Gaugin? I know the ship is waaaaaay more expensive than the TP. Thanks.

Patti

[budaman]

Hi Patti & of course Debbie:) I'll try to clarify the weather situation a little. Being in the tropics, you are likely to get brief showers at any time on any particular day throughout the year. May through the first half of November, you run less a risk of continuous rain. One thing to remember, the rain, air & water temps are all about the same temperature, so it is not uncomfortable at all, especially while diving. In fact, it's kind of neat to look above while underwater & see the rain hitting the water.

 

The platform on the PG is neat & provides easy on & off for the diving. I would think this would increase your after diving exploring of the islands. Going back & forth between the dive shops & the TP did limit what else you could do.

 

As far as which ship, we did find out once we were there, the ship is secondary to the islands & all the different itineraries available are port intensive. We spent very little time doing anything other than eating & sleeping on the ship. That is one reason we could not justify the price of the PG. I'm sure it might have a bit better service & nicer cabins, but we are not 'needy' travelers that need to be pampered. Plus, the PG is still not a small ship. Close to 400 is still a lot of people in a confined area. That being said, a balcony on the TP is great. To get up as the sun comes up and sit out in the quiet of your balcony, having breakfast and slip into some beautiful ports is something I will never forget.

 

Also, when the TP resumes the Tahiti itinerary in the fall of 2008, there will only be one itineray which will be: Tahiti, Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora Bora & Moorea. There will be one sea day going & one returning from Rangiroa. That Itinerary is probably better than either of the other two previous ones for a diver.

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

[patti627]

Hi Patti & of course Debbie:) I'll try to clarify the weather situation a little. Being in the tropics, you are likely to get brief showers at any time on any particular day throughout the year. May through the first half of November, you run less a risk of continuous rain. One thing to remember, the rain, air & water temps are all about the same temperature, so it is not uncomfortable at all, especially while diving. In fact, it's kind of neat to look above while underwater & see the rain hitting the water.

 

The platform on the PG is neat & provides easy on & off for the diving. I would think this would increase your after diving exploring of the islands. Going back & forth between the dive shops & the TP did limit what else you could do.

 

As far as which ship, we did find out once we were there, the ship is secondary to the islands & all the different itineraries available are port intensive. We spent very little time doing anything other than eating & sleeping on the ship. That is one reason we could not justify the price of the PG. I'm sure it might have a bit better service & nicer cabins, but we are not 'needy' travelers that need to be pampered. Plus, the PG is still not a small ship. Close to 400 is still a lot of people in a confined area. That being said, a balcony on the TP is great. To get up as the sun comes up and sit out in the quiet of your balcony, having breakfast and slip into some beautiful ports is something I will never forget.

 

Also, when the TP resumes the Tahiti itinerary in the fall of 2008, there will only be one itineray which will be: Tahiti, Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora Bora & Moorea. There will be one sea day going & one returning from Rangiroa. That Itinerary is probably better than either of the other two previous ones for a diver.

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Mike, thanks so much for the info.

Patti

[patti627]

Hi Patti & of course Debbie:) I'll try to clarify the weather situation a little. Being in the tropics, you are likely to get brief showers at any time on any particular day throughout the year. May through the first half of November, you run less a risk of continuous rain. One thing to remember, the rain, air & water temps are all about the same temperature, so it is not uncomfortable at all, especially while diving. In fact, it's kind of neat to look above while underwater & see the rain hitting the water.

 

The platform on the PG is neat & provides easy on & off for the diving. I would think this would increase your after diving exploring of the islands. Going back & forth between the dive shops & the TP did limit what else you could do.

 

As far as which ship, we did find out once we were there, the ship is secondary to the islands & all the different itineraries available are port intensive. We spent very little time doing anything other than eating & sleeping on the ship. That is one reason we could not justify the price of the PG. I'm sure it might have a bit better service & nicer cabins, but we are not 'needy' travelers that need to be pampered. Plus, the PG is still not a small ship. Close to 400 is still a lot of people in a confined area. That being said, a balcony on the TP is great. To get up as the sun comes up and sit out in the quiet of your balcony, having breakfast and slip into some beautiful ports is something I will never forget.

 

Also, when the TP resumes the Tahiti itinerary in the fall of 2008, there will only be one itineray which will be: Tahiti, Huahine, Rangiroa, Raiatea, Bora Bora & Moorea. There will be one sea day going & one returning from Rangiroa. That Itinerary is probably better than either of the other two previous ones for a diver.

 

Mike

 

http://web.mac.com/csealove/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Mike, do you think Tahiti is a better place to stay (like maybe split between islands, maybe Bora Bora and Rangiroa) for 10 days than do a cruise there?

Patti